Combined splice-bar and guard-rail.



PATENTBD DEC. 26, 1905. T. YO B BAR GUARD RAIL.

W. COMBINED SPLIU 'APPLIOATIO WILLIAM THOMAS YOUNG, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

COMBINED SPLICE-BAR AND GUARD-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed September 16, 1905. Serial No. 278,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMAS YOUNG, a citizen of the United-States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combined Splice-Bar and Guard-Rail, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improved combined splice-bar and guard-rail, and has for its object to provide a strong and durable device that will serve the double purpose of a splice-bar and a guard-rail to securely hold and lock the meeting ends of railsections together, as a guard-rail to be used upon short or sharp curves, and as a reinforcement to the rails, thus decreasing the danger of them spreading or being forced out of alinement, which is a common complaint, especially where the rails are subject to heavy uses.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction that can be used in connection with the ordinary fish-plates and also one that will require no special adjustment or fastening other than those now necessary in looking the meeting ends of the rails.

Still a further object is to provide a device that will not require any special form of adjustment or supplemental attachments when used as a guard-rail, which is required in the common form of guards now in use.

IVith these briefly-stated objects in view my invention comprises certain details of construction and peculiar arrangement of parts, as will be fully described in the following specification and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improvement in position upon the meeting ends of two rail-sections. Fig. 2 is a detail crosssectional view of my improvement in position upon a rail and used as a guard-rail, the line of section being drawn intermediate the ends of the rail-section and through one of the bolt-holes; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a rail, showing my improvement in position when used as a splice-bar and guardrail.

In the drawings, A A designate the meeting ends of two rail-sections, and B my improved combined splice-bar and guard-rail comprising a base C, the lower side of which is beveled to fit the base of the rail and which projects some distance therefrom, the extreme side or inner edge terminating in'a foot portion D, whose lower surface is fiat or horizontal to snugly rest upon the ties. The-opposite side of the base C terminates in a vertical portion D of a height equal that of the web of the rail, its outer face being flat to fit the said web and its inner face being beveled and provided with four noncircular recesses D, through which the bolts D extend and by which the splice-bar and guard-rail is locked to the rails. the nut of the bolt in the recesses with the head of the bolt bearing against the web of the rail. or the fish-plate, and I also propose to make the recesses of a. size to snugly receive the nut which will prevent its turning and which will be a great convenience and assistance in screwing the bolt in position.

Extending from the base between the foot portion and the vertical extension is a tapering extension E, which is widest at its base and gradually tapers toward its outer end, and this extension projects from the base upon an angle and produces a V-shaped trough between it and the said vertical extension. As shown in the drawings, this tapering extension extends the entire length of the base, the same as does the foot portion and the vertical extension.

When my device is used as a splice-bar and in connection with a fish-plate, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be readily seen that a strong durable splice-bar is produced, and in order to fasten the bar to the ties I propose to use the ordinary spikes F, whose heads bear against the upper surface of the foot D in the same manner as they are used upon the rails for securing them to the ties.

When my device is to be used as a guardrail upon sharp or short curves, it is made in sections of a length equal the rails but their meeting ends will be arranged about centrally of the ends of each rail-section. In this use the central portion of the vertical exterision will be provided withrecesses and boltholes to register with the holes in the web of the rails, and as manyother recesses and holes will be produced throughout the remaining portion of the length for fastening the bar to the rails as conditions or travel upon the road may necessitate.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly strong and durable device that will serve the double pur ose of guard-rail and splice-bar which is app 'cable In practice I propose to insert either in uniting the meeting ends of rails or as a guard-rail.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A combined splice-bar and guard-rail for railroads, comprising a base having a vertical extension at one side and a foot portion at its opposite side, and a tapering extension projecting from the base intermediate the foot and vertical extension.

2. A combined splice-bar and guard-rail comprising a base which terminates at one side in a foot portion and at its opposite side in a vertical extension, the inner surface of the extension being recessed and provided with bolt-holes, and an extension projecting from the base and at an angle thereto, substantially as specified.

3. A combined splice-bar and guard-rail comprising a base, the lower surface of which is beveled and which terminates at one side in a foot portion whose lower surface is arranged upon a horizontal line, and at its opposite side in a vertical extension, the outer face of which is flat and of a height to fit the web of the rail, the inner face of the said extension being provided with non-circular recesses, and bolt-holes which communicate with the recesses and a tapering extension projecting from the base and at an angle thereto, substantially as shown and described.

4. A combined splice-bar and guard-rail comprising a base having a foot portion at one side and a vertical extension at its opposite side, said extension having bolt-holes, and an extension projecting from the base throughout its entire length, said extension being tapered toward its upper end and extended from the base in a diverging direction with respect to the vertical extension.

WILLIAM THOMAS YOUNG.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. QUICK, C. R. CALLAI-IAN. 

